


Cardinal Directions

by sjhw_tolerance (mscorkill)



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-06
Updated: 2012-06-06
Packaged: 2017-11-07 00:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/424944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/sjhw_tolerance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are each other's guiding light.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cardinal Directions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Stages of Love: Cardinal Directions; originally posted November 2006.

**URSA MAJOR**

Sam follows him, pushed beyond the point of utter exhaustion and long past the point of collapse; but she doesn’t collapse, she doesn’t drop to the ground like the dead and decaying leaves of the forest surrounding them, returning back to the dank earth. She doesn’t falter, she follows, her tired and aching eyes glued to his back as she trudges behind him. She stumbles when she realizes that she would follow him to the ends of the universe and beyond, a croak of laughter escaping between chapped lips with the unexpected realization that she has found her north star.

 

**The Southern Cross**

The alien sky reminds Jack of times he’d rather forget; time spent on foreign soil, seeking to find his way home with unfamiliar stars to guide him, a time when his world had turned upside down. How he feels right now is similar—and just as disorienting. His expression softens though, as he glances at the woman curled up beside him, and before he can stop himself, he’s smoothing her hair off her forehead, his fingers lingering in a stolen caress. That was a different time and place and maybe with her alongside him, he’s not so lost after all.

 

**THE MORNING STAR**

The endless night slowly gives way to what Jack knows will be another endless day; the stars gradually fading until only one remains shining brightly in the dawn sky. It’s time to move on and Jack forces stiff, cold limbs to move, all too aware that another day will only bring more ceaseless running and hiding. He wishes he could let her sleep, but time—and their lives—are too precious; so he touches her gently, watching closely as her eyes open and in those first unguarded moments of waking her eyes shine as brightly as the last morning star.

 

**The Evening Star**

In the end, it was ridiculously easy, making their arduous trek seem nothing more than a bad dream and a night spent in the cold, dreary rain. But now she’s warm and dry; Fraiser and her faithful staff fussing gently over both of them. And now that they’re both safe, Sam curls up on the infirmary bed—not as soft as her own but infinitely better than the ground—and she gazes over at the bed next to hers and smiles. He’s finally sleeping, the stark lines of exhaustion and worry fading away and tonight she’ll stand watch over him.

 

**Sol**

The sun is bright in the sky when both Fraiser and Hammond have finally finished with them and they emerge from the depths of the mountain. Shading her eyes, Sam finds the familiar landscape of concrete, rocks and scrub the most beautiful sight she has ever seen. Jack stands beside her for a moment, fishing his sunglasses out of the interior pocket of his leather jacket. When he turns to her and smiles, his eyes are hidden by his shades, but she can feel the warmth in them just as surely as she feels the warmth from the sun. “Breakfast?”

**The End**


End file.
